All Dolphins

Is Shula's Record Now Safe?

Bill Belichick not getting the Atlanta Falcons job might have ended his pursuit of the all-time mark

Alain Poupart

Is Shula's Record Now Safe?
Is Shula's Record Now Safe? /
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The Atlanta Falcons' surprise hiring of L.A. Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to become their new head coach should be viewed good news for Miami Dolphins fans, particularly older Dolphins fans.

And it's not because the Dolphins face the Rams at SoFi Stadium next season and Sean McVay now has lost his highly regarded defensive leader, but rather for what it means for the late Don Shula and his legacy.

A big part of that legacy is Shula holding the NFL all-time record for career victories with 347 and the hiring of Morris seemingly putting on hold Bill Belichick's pursuit of that record — perhaps permanently.

Belichick, who stands at 333 career victories, was viewed as a leading contender to become the Falcons' new head coach to replace Arthur Smith after he moved on from the New England Patriots after 23 years.

There are only two head-coaching openings remaining in the NFL after the Carolina Panthers hired Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales and the Falcons hired Morris, the Washington Commanders and the Seattle Seahawks. Belichick interviewed only with the Falcons after his departure from New England.

While it's not impossible that Belichick could end up with one of those two jobs or could resurface as a candidate next year, the reality is that Belichick will be 73 by the start of the 2025 season and there might not be many teams willing to hire a head coach at that age, regardless of his credentials.

Along with the Falcons and Panthers, teams who have hired new head coaches so far this offseason are the L.A. Chargers with Jim Harbaugh, the Las Vegas Raiders with Antonio Pierce (removing the interim tag), the Tennessee Titans with Brian Callahan, and the Patriots replacing Belichick with Jerod Mayo.

RAMSEY GIVES THUMBS UP TO MORRIS HIRING

One Dolphins player who fully endorsed the hiring of Morris was cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who made his feelings known on social media.

Ramsey played under Morris for the Rams in 2021 and 2022, earning a Pro Bowl invitation each season along with All-Pro honors in 2021.

Ramsey had four interceptions in each of those two seasons before he was traded to Miami last March.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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